Anglachel was the sword forged by Eöl the Dark Elf from a meteorite. Its mate was Anguirel. The blade glowed and could easily slice through iron. Eöl gave Anglachel to his lord, King Thingol of Doriath, as payment for letting him dwell in the Forest of Nan Elmoth. Thingol would not bear it, declaring that there was malice in the blade.

In First Age 487 Beleg Strongbow took Anglachel from Thingol's armoury and went to rescue his friend Túrin Turambar. He tracked down the Orcs holding Túrin and in the dead of night slew them. But when he tried to cut Túrin's bonds, his friend thought the Orcs had returned to torture him, and during the struggle he slew Beleg with the blade. Anglachel broke during the fight, turned a dead black and would no longer glow.

Túrin later reforged the sword with the help of the smiths of Nargothrond. The blade remained black, however, and Túrin renamed it Gurthang. Anglachel was the sword that Túrin used to kill Glaurung.